Despite the deluge of the previous few weeks, some folk were either brave or insane enough to go to Yorkshire for a weekend of slightly moist caving.
Saturday 28th November- Easegill
We had a permit for White Scar Cave but a ‘phone call to the cave on the Friday afternoon revealed that this was unlikely to go ahead due the high water levels. This information was confirmed on the Saturday morning, so we opted for plan ‘B’.
Elaine, Clive, Cara and Donald went for a trip into County Pot to have a wander around some of the less-frequented parts of the system. The jewel of the trip was a visit to the Gallery Extension, which we would probably never have found without Clive’s knowledge of the cave.
Larry, Nick, Ben, Mandy, Kevin and Imogen opted for the through trip from Lancaster Hole to County Pot and managed to get fed for free at the Red Rose hut when they came out!
Later that evening the rain started again…….
Sunday 29th November - Stump Cross
Elaine had negotiated a permit and leader for Great Expectations, Stump Cross. The permit is for 5 cavers only (plus leader) but as the latter was willing to do two trips, we were all able to descend.
The weather was exceptionally grim, having added a small amount of occasional, sideways sleet into the rain for good measure. Elaine, Clive, Cara and Donald braved the elements for the first trip, along with Mal Goodwin (CPC leader). There was a lot more water going down the entrance than normal and both the descent and the slot at the bottom were somewhat moist. Cara decided to exit as she was especially cold, though once into the cave proper it was reasonably snug and draught free. The system is not especially extensive but it is quite pretty and definitely worth a visit. The first party also managed to get a wander into the show cave, part of which was flooded on this occasion.
Mal opted to wait underground for the next party to avoid the surface elements, so the first party exited and the second – comprising Larry, Imogen, Kevin, Mandy and Ben – had an even more refreshing ladder climb than the first group.
Luckily Stump Cross Caverns has an excellent café, so both groups had somewhere warm and pleasant to wait. Nick’s knees were a little unhappy after the previous day’s trip, so he made full use of this facility and sensibly avoided going into the elements and underground at all. For reasons that escape me, some members of the second group opted to consume ice cream with their various deserts when they got out – must be something to do with being young and impervious to cold!
A superb weekend, despite the weather’s attempts to foil plans. Many thanks to Mal Goodwin for leading on the Sunday, despite having a long and unpleasant journey to do so.
Elaine Hill
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